February 2016 – CD Trail North from FR 506

I first met Bart Lami through my blog, 100hikesinayear.com, when he was nice enough to congratulate me on completing my 100 hike challenge. When we recently ran into each other at a WILL class in January, I suggested we hike together. And so on a crisp Wednesday we hiked through the pines north of town.

As we walked, Bart told me about himself. He and his wife, Nancy, spend 3 months of the years here in Silver City to escape the bone-chilling winters of Pittsburgh. In early retirement, they stay busy with hiking, race car renovations, and have been involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters for 15 years.

When I asked about his little brother, Bart’s upbeat conversation turned serious. He told me about an 8-year-old boy, Stephon, that he spent time with over the past fifteen years. Although their homes were 10 miles apart, it might have been 10 light years. He described to me a comparison with several striking differences. Bart grew up in an upper middle class household, while Stephon lived with his paraplegic mother in an inner city section of Pittsburgh. He never knew his father, who is in jail.

Bart shared many enjoyable outings with Stephon, occasionally taking him to a lake. He had never been to a lake and had to be coaxed into the water and had to have the roped-off swimming area explained to him.

When Stephon was in his teens, he told Bart that his wallet was stolen but that it was his own fault. Bart mistakenly thought that Stephon had left his wallet somewhere in public, Stephon explained. “It was my own fault. I left it on my dresser.”

Stephon had some difficulties in his teen years including alcohol and drug abuse and a serious seizure disorder. But he had emerged from it and was taking a leadership role in his AA and NA groups. He had started attending a local community college.

“So is he on the right track now?” I asked.

Bart stopped on the trail and looked at me sadly. “No. Tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of his death.”

Folks, the lump in my throat and the tears in my eyes stayed with me the entire hike.

Bart explained that at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, a pedestrian shot at a car of five teenagers and Stephon, sitting in the middle of the back seat, was killed. It’s hard to think of a sadder thing than this tragic loss of life.

Bart often uses hiking as a healing activity during difficult times. He hiked the day after learning about Stephon’s death, and he hiked on the day after 9/11. So, as you read about this month’s hike below, think about a young man named Stephon Reed and appreciate how precious life is.

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Describe one of your favorite hikes that you’d like to share with the readers:

Name: CD Trail North from FR 506

Distance: variable

Difficulty: moderate

Directions: Drive north on Little Walnut Rd; when it turns to dirt road, travel 1.8 miles. Park on the left side of the road, trailhead is on the right hand side of the road.

Hike Description: This trail is a hilly section of the CD Trail as it heads away from civilization and north into the Gila. You will enjoy long-range views, pine trees, views of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Benedictine Monastery, and a few stream crossings. We even trekked through snow in a few short, north facing segments.

Tell me about particularly memorable hiking experiences:

In Pittsburgh, Bart and his friends do some extreme urban hiking. They occasionally hike 19 miles on a route that includes 18 of the Pittsburgh area bridges. Once, they did a 13 mile hike and in the middle of it, climbed a 36 story building – twice. No wonder this trail was no big effort for him.

Bart recalls an unforgettable backpacking trip. He and a friend set out to hike on the Laurel Highlands Trail for a 75 mile, 3-day trip. After being dropped off at the trailhead, the weather changed dramatically and unexpectedly. The temperature quickly dropped from 50 to 32, winds were at 30-40 miles per hour, and a heavy rain fell. They trudged along miserably and finally stopped for the night. Using soaking wet wood, they eventually got a fire started. They barely survived the night, but not before having the heels of their boots melt. The second day was slightly better than the first but not without incident. His friend Tim hurt his knee. They limped towards the second planned stop. As they approached the lean-to they were met with Halloween lights and decorations. Two friends (saviors, really) had decided to surprise them and bring them a hot meal. Seeing that Tim was injured, they drove back to the friends’ home and spent a warm, comfortable night eating and drinking.